Arthrous

Arthrous is a term used in linguistics to describe noun phrases that include an article. Articles are determiners that mark definiteness or indefiniteness, such as the definite article the or the indefinite articles a and an in English. An arthrous noun phrase therefore bears a determiner, while an anarthrous noun phrase lacks one.

The distinction between arthrous and anarthrous arises in cross-linguistic grammar, especially in languages with robust article systems or with other definiteness markers. Anarthrous forms occur when the noun appears without a determiner or with alternative markers, and they can convey generality, indefiniteness, or reliance on contextual cues. In languages like Ancient Greek, the opposite ends of the spectrum are well described: arthrous noun phrases carry the definite article (for example, ho anthropos “the man”), whereas anarthrous forms lack it (anthropos “man” or “a man” in certain contexts). Similar discussions appear in Latin, Semitic languages with suffixal or clitic definite markers, and other languages with article-like systems.

In English, noun phrases with the definite article “the” or the indefinite articles “a” or “an” are typically described as arthrous. Bare nouns without determiners can be analyzed as anarthrous in linguistic descriptions of definiteness, though real-world interpretation often depends on context, plurality, or generic reference.

See also: definite article, indefinite article, anarthrous, definiteness, determiner.